Karst by Tim Exile is a new Reaktor-style modular audio system designed for songwriters that runs in your browser and later also as a standalone app and plugin.
British musician and developer Tim Exile has been one of the most intensive users of Native Instruments Reaktor for many years. He not only composes but also performs with it. In collaboration with NI (Flesh, The Mouth), as well as under his own name (Finalist, Shapeshift), he created several ensembles.
Back in April, he presented the New Modular System, a series of Reaktor-based tools that lets you build instruments that are instantly playable. Today, Tim Exile launched its own node-based modular system called Karst.
Karst Tim Exile
Karst is a new node-based modular system that runs in your browser and later as a standalone app and in your DAW as a plugin. This is the second major project in a very short time by Tim Exile.
The New Modular System, introduced in April, is discontinued. He decided to stand on his own two feet. Also, there hadn’t been a major overhaul for Reaktor for a long time.
So it’s free to all NMS backers because, “well, this basically is NMS – and a whole lot more, says Tim in a newsletter.
Visually, it’s reminiscent of Reaktor. To be honest, I prefer Reaktor’s old-school look, as Karst’s user interface design reminds me of many other releases of the recent past. It probably uses the same JUCE UI tools.
Built For Songwriting And Performance
Technically, Karst goes in the same direction as Reaktor. It’s also a modular environment where you can build your own audio and effects by connecting nodes. It’s described as a canvas for conjuring new instruments and FX, limited only by your imagination.
But it takes a different approach. Where Reaktor focuses more on designing tools, Karst integrates composition and performance right into it. It attempts to bridge that gap.
This different concept is also evident in many embedded features. For example, each Karst instrument has a generative DNA. They have built-in tools that allows you to create your own generative algorithms, without having to deal with event scheduling or polyphony.
Then, they can receive, mutate and generate their own clocks, triggers, and audio side-chains. You have them instantly without building extra modules for the system. These signals are automatically passed to downstream instruments.
Additionally, each Kars device has a smart dice that lets you generate small or large variation. There are also 24 global macro controls with which you can perform your system.
Build, Connect And Share
A system is basically an entire patch that have various instruments, effects, and more. According to Tim Exile, Karst comes with a suite of buil-tin instrument and FX to get you started. Both synthesis and sample-based instruments will be part of it.
Various machines (acid, chord, kick, snare…) and effects (resonator, mod reverb…) are already available and eack week, they will add new instruments to it.
For more sonic flexibility, you can even host your own plugins in your system. So, you can infuse the generative and modulation power of Karst in your existing plugins.
A benefit over Reaktor or VCV Rack is that it works cableless from the start. Drop instruments and effects and the system autoconnects. You can use cables if you need more advanced connections like clocks and audio signals across chains, and more.
There is also a neat scene function where you save scenes of your system that are browsable and recallable like presets.
You can log in anywhere to retrieve them. Offline mode will be available in the standalone app and plugin later this year.
First Impression
I’m not sure yet about Karst. There are tons of modular tools like VCV Rack (which is even available for free), Reaktor – old but still great, Voltage Modular, Max/Max For Live, and many others.
The idea of embedding the composer and performative aspects directly into the engine is great as it allows you to work faster with the actual tools you have available. Whether we need another modular environment right now remains to be seen.
Above all, how it develops and whether it can convince enough people and so build a community like VCV or Reaktor.
Karst is available now as a private beta 0.1. You can buy it now for £69 instead of £99 (30% OFF) and get full access. It now runs as a desktop browser version only. Standalone app and plugin will launch in Q4 2026. You can try it for free in your browser.
More information here: Tim Exile
Agree with you.while i love tim exile ,this does not seem so interesting.